January Favorites

January 30, 2017

January Favorites

The first month of 2017 is over and I think I would say it’s been a good start to the year for me so far. I got to celebrate my birthday, get myself more organized for a fresh start, visited with a few friends, and picked out my wedding dress!! A lot has already changed for me in this past month (for the better) and it’s making me pretty excited for what’s yet to come. I told you 2017 was going to be one of the best! I have a few new products to share with you that I’ve been enjoying, but I also wanted to revisit some of my old favorites that have been especially loved this month.

I shared these two on my Instagram, so if you follow me there you would’ve already seen it. I’ve been searching forever to try to find some candle holders to use as decoration around the house. That turned out to be much harder than I was expecting! My mom found these and gave them to me for my birthday. I doubt I would’ve ever picked out crystal candle holders myself, but I absolutely love them! I still can’t let go of my winter tablecloth just yet, which is also one of my favorite finds at Target, but my favorite thing is how they match with almost anything I pair them with. Perfect!!

About two weeks ago, I posted a more detailed review and explanation of this essential oil diffuser humidifier. I got it as a gift from my fiancé for Christmas and I’ve been using it almost every single night. Regardless of whatever the humidity may be outside, I still like using this at night for all of its benefits. I’ve been playing around with different scented essential oils, but right now one of my favorites is Tranquility from Earthbound Trading Company. It’s really relaxing for bedtime.

A new year means I had to get a new planner and I’d totally be lying if I said I wasn’t more excited about that over anything else. Last year, I had gotten one from Walmart that was made by the brand PlanAhead and I really liked it. I tried to find the same thing this year, but didn’t have any luck. I found this one at Target and it’s by BlueSky. I really like the colors on it and that it’s a little smaller, but smaller also means that it doesn’t have as much stuff inside either. Although I do wish it had more, I still really like it and have been making a point to write it in on a regular basis. I can be so bad about that sometimes!

One of the best finds at Target this winter season has been their amazing robe selection. I’m a complete robe junkie and love everything that’s soft. I’m seriously one of those people who has to touch everything in the store and rate it on its softness. So trust me when I say this is the softest robe I have ever felt! This one is by Gilligan & O’Malley and is currently on sale for $25 as I write this. It’s the perfect softness without being too heavy or bulky. If you’re looking for a new robe or just love super soft things like me, you need to run to Target right now and get one!

This one is an old, old favorite and was even what I wrote my very first blog post about. The Plus White 5 Minute Whitening Gel is my absolute favorite for whitening my teeth. It’s extremely affordable at $5 a tube, easy to find at Walmart, and fast to use. I’ve been slacking lately and I, honestly, probably haven’t even whitened my teeth in over a year. I got back into it this month and have enjoyed seeing a change in the whiteness of my teeth. I definitely recommend it if you haven’t tried it before.

For skincare, I’ve been using a few new things. The Clinique Acne Solutions All Over Clearing Treatment is my absolute favorite face lotion that I have ever tried. It does amazing things for my acne prone skin and it’s super lightweight. I use it every morning and have realized that I can’t be without it. The Lancôme Eye On Correction is a new product that I’ve been trying out recently and I actually really like it. I haven’t had very good luck with eye creams in the past, but this one does seem to be making a difference. It’s an eye balm, so it makes the skin very smooth and blurs imperfections. Unfortunately, the price tag is a little scary..

I have struggled with texture on my cheeks for years, which is a result of bad acne when I was younger. I felt like I had tried everything to make it go away, but just recently was prescribed a retinol treatment by a dermatologist. It really made a difference and plumped up the skin on my cheeks so things are more smooth again. Towards the end of that bottle, I noticed my skin had gotten used to it and it wasn’t reacting as well anymore. So instead of refilling my prescription, I decided to try Neutrogena’s Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer for night because my mom really likes it and I’ve heard many other positive reviews about it. I’ve only been using it for two or three weeks now, but I am seeing a difference and I do really enjoy the scent of it too.

Also for skincare, I had tried out one or two new face masks this month and neither of them lived up to their expectations. After trying both of those, I couldn’t wait to get back to my favorite Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay mask. This stuff really is amazing and although it may sound weird, even just putting this clay on my face during application makes me feel more clean because I know what it can do. Using it regularly for so long now, I’ve also noticed less redness on my face and smaller pores. It’s magic!!

I don’t usually have to deal with dry skin, but with the cold winter air I do sometimes have a few dry patches that need to be taken care of. When that happens, I typically reach for coconut oil or Aquaphor to heal it quickly. But if I notice it lasting a little longer and just generally need more moisture in my skin, I like to use Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. This is one of their staple items from their brand and it is really great. It gives my skin the moisture that it needs without feeling too heavy. If you have dry or really sensitive skin, this would also be a great lotion to use after this mask.

For the body, I only have two favorites to mention. I’ve talked about this St. Moriz Dark Self Tanning Mousse before and even featured it in a separate post with details on how I use it. I used it more regularly in the Summer, but have also used it for specific events during the Fall and Winter months such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since I don’t use it as often right now, I’m always reminded of how great it is when I do use it. It might sound a little silly, but I’m pretty happy that this was my first year ever being tan for Christmas! #FloridaGirlProblems #TanObsessed

I think I surprised myself with how much I’ve been enjoying this next item. I received the Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Body Butter in an Allure Beauty Box in December. Not only was I a little surprised by the color, but also by its scent and the quality. Tatcha is not a very cheap brand and although it’s a little strange, those brands are usually what I’m a little skeptical of. I tend to think it’s all gimmicky or not worth the price. But this smells amazing, very citrusy and fresh. Because it came in such a small size, I decided to use it on my hands before bed rather than trying to have enough for my entire body. It is very moisturizing and I’ve really been enjoying it. Although, as is mentioned in the name, it is a little silky so I’m not exactly sure how great it would work as an actual body lotion.

I’ve been switching between these two foundations constantly and like them both for their own reasons. The L’oreal Infallible Pro-Matte foundation is more lightweight, lasts longer, and gives a more natural skin finish. The Maybelline Dream Velvet foundation looks pretty during initial application and has more coverage. I use them based on what I need, such as coverage, wear time, etc. But I also have to listen to my skin. If I’m extra oily, I need the L’oreal one because as my oils come out of my skin they tend to separate the Maybelline foundation. It’s been a constant mix up of which one I love more and I still don’t think I can really choose.

This might come as a shock, but these next two palettes are the only thing I purchased during on Black Friday. I mentioned in a previous haul post that this last Black Friday didn’t impress me very much. I bought both of these as a set on Hautelook and received them in late December. I’ve been playing around with them ever since and I love them! This is just a little sneak peek, though. You’ll have to come back on Wednesday when I’ll be posting my full review of them and again on Friday for a tutorial using the eyeshadow palette. But for now, I’ll just tell you they’re really, really, really amazing!

Aside from the eyeshadow palette above, the other single eyeshadows that I’ve been loving this month were all featured in my Brown Smokey Eye tutorial. That look has been on repeat constantly because I just can’t get enough of it. They’re pretty neutral colors, but they give me so much life! And if I don’t do the entire smokey eye, then I’ll just use a combination of whatever shades I feel like. These all go so well together and are products I know I can trust during long days.

When it comes to lips, I’ve been keeping it pretty simple lately. I’m still really liking the pinks (mainly because of my hair), but I don’t want the bright pinks that I used to use in the Summer. Which is why I’ve been sticking to the Manna Kadar gloss in All of Me. It is a little bright, but not too bright and can almost be on the berry side of things depending on the lighting and what you pair it with. I’m really picky about the texture of lip products, so when I find a formula that’s lightweight and not tacky, I stick with it.

Wow, that was a lot! How do I end up with so many favorite products every month? I have no idea. But what I do know is that these are all amazing and I can’t recommend them enough! If you have any questions about any of the products that I mentioned, please leave them for me in the comments. And if you’ve tried any of these before, I’d love to know how they worked out for you!

~Mani Monday~

After having such a lighter color last week, I was craving something a little darker. Of course I chose another Sinful Colors polish and this one is called Mauvelous. It has the perfect amount of gray and purple undertones without being too much of either. Quality doesn’t get any better than Sinful Colors and this is a shade I always enjoy wearing.